The Constitution does not require a party card to serve in public office
I’ve lost count of the number of known voices and familiar faces that have been given roles in this NDC government.
Interestingly, some of these appointees — many of them academics — were previously thought to lean towards the NPP. And yet, here they are, serving under the current government.
You can make all the noise about hypocrisy and claim they were never truly neutral — that they were only advocating from the sidelines to serve their own interest within the NDC.
But here’s the thing: politics is about numbers and strategy.
Nation-building, however, is about tapping into quality human resources to achieve national goals. And if that talent happens to come from among so-called neutrals, so be it.
The Constitution does not require a party card to serve in public office. If individuals can contribute meaningful ideas from the sidelines, then it’s only right that they’re brought into the system to help implement those ideas.
Let’s not forget — the other party also had the opportunity to engage these same individuals. Perhaps they didn’t have space for everyone or didn’t find them suitable. But if someone else now finds them worthy, must they decline the offer simply because of what partisan Ghanaians might say?
Every skill and talent in this country should be seen as a national asset, not one reserved for party loyalists. A floating voter’s ballot is valuable to win an election, but their intellect isn’t useful for national development? Is that really where the debate is headed?
Yes, politicians may clandestinely use these strategic appointments to silence some critical voices, but are all the appointments always about that? Don’t be surprised when the NPP returns to power and uses the same strategy to its advantage.
The truth is, our politics stopped being about ideological convictions a long time ago. Today, many choose political alignments based on practical considerations, not dogma.
What’s unfolding also points to a deliberate rebranding by the NDC — one aimed at attracting middle-class Ghanaians, academics, and technocrats. The sooner the opposition NPP sees through this and counters it, the better for them.
There are always new voices emerging and contributing meaningfully to national conversations from the sidelines. So, the assumption that when such critical voices take up roles in government, whether temporary or permanent, there will be no others left to speak is simply erroneous.
At every point, the cycle continues. New voices rise because there are many more individuals who, for one reason or another, haven’t yet had the opportunity or haven’t challenged themselves to step into the national spotlight.
Many of those leading Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) today weren’t the same people active in the 2000s. Some of the older figures have since retired or taken up roles in past governments, and others have picked up the baton and carried the cause forward.
There can never be a shortage of knowledge simply because a few critical voices have taken on official responsibilities. The national conversation is far bigger than any individual, and fresh voices will always emerge to keep it alive.
It’s time to rethink what neutrality, competence, and national service truly mean.
